Walter von Loë
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Walter von Loë | |
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Born | Hennef, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia | 9 September 1828
Died | 6 July 1908 Bonn, Kingdom of Prussia | (aged 79)
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() ![]() |
Years of service | 1845–1897 |
Rank | ![]() |
Battles/wars | First Schleswig War Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War |
Baron Friedrich Karl Walter Degenhard von Loë (9 September 1828 – 6 July 1908) was a Prussian soldier and aristocrat. Loë had the distinction of being one of the few Roman Catholics to reach the rank of Generalfeldmarschall, or field marshal, in Prussia.
Early life and military career[]
Loë was born into the Westphalian aristocracy on 9 September 1828 in Schloss Allner, in Hennef.[1] His wealthy Catholic family held a baronial title, and his father sent him to be educated at the Ritterakademie in Bedburg. In 1845, Loë served his required year in the military, allowing him to enter the reserves. After graduating from the academy, he studied at Bonn University. Loë was not to stay at the university for long, however, as war with Denmark broke out over a border dispute known as the Schleswig-Holstein Question. The duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, located along the Danish border, were claimed by both Prussia and Denmark. When German Schleswig-Holsteiners rebelled, Prussia and other German states sent forces to intervene.
Loë served as a lieutenant of German cavalry during the conflict, eventually transferring to the Prussian Third Hussars. In 1851, the war with Denmark concluded with an agreement, the 1852 London Protocol, which allowed the Danes to retain Schleswig-Holstein. Loë remained in the military, however, fighting rebels in Baden before becoming adjutant of Prussia's Army Riding School. A major by 1861, Loë became an aide to William I of Prussia, serving in this capacity for one year, upon which he accompanied the King's brother Albert to the Caucasus. In 1863, Loë was appointed military attaché to the French army in Algeria. While in North Africa, he participated in a French campaign against Arab rebels.
Returning to Prussia, Loë was promoted, first to lieutenant colonel (1867) and then to full colonel (1868), and commanded the Seventh Hussars during the Franco-Prussian War, after which Germany was united under King William, now Emperor of the entire German nation. Loë's forces performed satisfactorily during the war, and he advanced to the level of brigade commander. Serving in both command and staff roles, Loë (now Baron Loë after succeeding to his father's title) rose to major general and then to lieutenant general. He became the commander of the 5th Division in 1879. From 1880 to 1884, Loë was the Prussian adjutant general. After leaving this position in 1884, he was given command of the VIII Army Corps.
In 1893, Loë was sent to Rome in a diplomatic capacity. While in the Italian city, he met with Pope Leo XIII. Upon successful completion of this mission, Loë was made Colonel General of the Cavalry. After spending two years in charge of the cavalry branch, he was promoted to field marshal, becoming one of the few Catholics to receive this highest rank after service in the Protestant-dominated Prussian army. Loë was given the position of Governor of Berlin along with his new rank.
In 1897, the ailing field marshal submitted his resignation, although he accepted a diplomatic mission in 1900. He died on 6 July 1908 in the city of Bonn.[1]
Personal life[]
In 1859,[1] Loë married Countess Franziska von Hatzfeldt zu Trachenberg, who had three children of her own from a previous marriage. The couple had three children of their own: Helen and twins Margaret and Hubert. Loë's brother was Otto von Loë, a legislator. Loë was given an honorary doctorate by the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in 1907.
Catholic faith[]
Loë's promotion to field marshal was exceptional in that this honor was rarely given to Catholics. Traditionally a Protestant state, Prussia allowed few Catholics to rise that high in rank.
Although a believer in Catholicism, Loë supported practices such as dueling, often embracing the traditions of Prussian Protestant officers.
Honours and awards[]
Kingdom of Prussia:
- Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle, 4th Class with Swords, 1862; 3rd Class with Ribbon and Swords, 1864; 1st Class with Oak Leaves, Swords on Ring and Enamel Band of the Prussian Crown, 23 September 1884[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, with Swords, 20 September 1866[2]
- Knight of the Order of the Prussian Crown, 1st Class, 22 March 1883[2]
- Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 20 September 1890; with Collar, 17 January 1891[3]
Sweden-Norway: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword, 7 July 1874[4]
Austria-Hungary:[5]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph, 1877
- Knight of the Order of the Iron Crown, 1st Class, 1881
- Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen, 1893; in Diamonds, 1899
Spain: Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, 3 December 1883[6]
Baden: Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1897[7]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Leo van de Pas. "Descendants of Freiherr Degenhart Bertram Adolph von Loë". worldroots.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), 1, Berlin, 1886, pp. 42, 559, 944 – via hathitrust.org
- ^ Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.) (in German), 1, Berlin, 1886, p. 5 – via hathitrust.org
- ^ Sveriges statskalender (in Swedish), 1877, p. 372, retrieved 2018-01-06 – via runeberg.org
- ^ "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1908, pp. 58, 99, 163, retrieved 3 September 2021
- ^ "Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III", Guía Oficial de España (in Spanish), 1907, p. 153, retrieved 3 September 2021
- ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1902), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 68
- 1828 births
- 1908 deaths
- People from Hennef (Sieg)
- People from the Rhine Province
- German Roman Catholics
- Members of the Prussian House of Lords
- Field marshals of Prussia
- Westphalian nobility
- People of the Revolutions of 1848
- Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War
- German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Franz Joseph
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
- Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
- Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class
- Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword